Scoop of the Century
by Imagigirl20
Summary: Billy Batson is starting to get the hang of being a superhero. But just when he thinks that all is well, a reporter comes along and threatens to inadvertently destroy everything he's fought to keep secret. Liliana Lawson is a freelance reporter just looking for something to write about, but what happens when she discovers more than she should?


**Shazam!**

**No News Is…To Be Determined**

**Hey, guys! So who has seen Shazam! recently? It has GOT to be one of DC's BEST FLICKS YET! Which, given their track record, is not saying much, but still: Zachary Levi is PERFECT, the kids who play Billy and Freddy are wonderful, and the whole movie is just so much fun, I've already seen it twice! So, in light of its release, I decided to create a long-ish one shot that sort of popped up in my head. Hope you enjoy!**

Billy Batson trudged through the doors of his school, still tired from having stayed up all night stopping a high-speed chase on the freeway. By the time he had gotten in, morning had already broken through the curtains, and his head had hardly hit the sheets before Freddy was shaking him awake. As he stifled a yawn, he barely had time to register the door that was flying out in his direction. A young woman wearing a black skirt and dark green top with green eyes and blondish-brown hair was on the other side, and she gasped when she saw that she had almost hit someone by opening the door.

"Oh my gosh-I'm so sorry!" she said, checking on Billy. "Are you okay? I-I swear, I didn't know you were-"

"Hey, no sweat", Billy said tiredly, holding back another yawn. "I'm alright."

The woman looked at him curiously, and then shook her head.

"You are clearly suffering from a massive case of sleep deprivation", she deduced. "Been staying up too late? Trust me, I know a fellow all-nighter when I see one."

"And who are you?"

"Oh, of course! Where are my manners?"

The woman stuck out her hand and Billy shook.

"My name is Lilly-Liliana Lawson. I'm a sort of amateur writer/freelance reporter here. I was just visiting my old English teacher, Mr. Webb. He taught me everything I know."

"Fascinating", Billy said, pretending to be interested.

Lilly jumped as the bell rang, and then chuckled.

"7 years since Graduation, and that bell s_till _scares me. Ah, well."

She shrugged and readjusted the stacks of paper in her hands.

"Sorry again about the door, Mr.?"

"Uh, Batson. Billy Batson."

"Billy, huh? Hm, I've always liked that name."

There was a faint buzzing, and Lilly pulled out her phone and checked her messages. She sighed.

"I'd better go. It was nice meeting you, Billy."

With that, she spun on her heels and went back out to the parking lot.

"Yeah", Billy said, watching her go. "Uh, nice meeting you, too?"

Shaking his head, he made his way to his first class.

…

Lilly Lawson got into her car and sighed. She had visited her old English teacher with the hopes that he would give her some inspiration for her next story, but she had reached a dead end.

"Who knows?" she thought to herself. "Inspiration may strike at any given moment."

BAM! Lightning flashed in the sky, and Lilly watched as a dark cloud formed over the city.

"What the heck?"

She quickly got out of her car and went to investigate. Throngs of screaming people passed by her, running in the opposite direction. As Lilly came to a clearing in the street, she gasped. A smoky monster was descending from the cloud over the city. It was a dark grey with sharp fangs and fingernails, spiked wings and a horrid, grotesque form. It screeched, revealing a long, salivated tongue. Quick as a flash, Lilly took out her camera and began filming.

Billy saw the whole thing, as well, and Freddy was staring intently at him from across the classroom. He mouthed "No" to his best friend, who groaned and then raised his hand.

"Ms. Willows, may I be excused?" he asked, and the teacher nodded.

"Of course, Freddy."

Freddy got up from his desk and locked his wrist in his brace, shuffling his way to the door. After a few moments, Billy also asked to be excused and followed him out.

"What the heck are you still doing here?!" Freddy whisper-demanded as they met each other in the boys' room.

"Dude, I am _so _wiped out from last night, you have no idea."

"Dude, those people are _so _in trouble right now and they need Captain Sparkle Fingers, YOU have no idea!"

"Okay, I thought we agreed-that is NOT my name."

"Yeah, dude, I know what your name is, and right now you need to say it!"

"No way, man, the police can handle it."

"No, they can't."

"Yes, they can."

"No, they can't!"

"Are you questioning the capability of our local law enforcement?"

"No, but I am questioning the cowardice of a certain superhero."

"Don't go there."

"Too late, I went there."

"So you want him to handle this?"

"Yeah, I do! And so does everyone else!"

"Even if it means missing out on school work?"

"Since when have you _ever _cared about that?"

"Fair point."

Defeated, Billy squared his shoulders and cracked his knuckles.

"But now you get to do my homework."

Before Freddy could protest, Billy shouted "Shazam!" and a lightning bolt flew down from the sky. When it had gone, a large muscular man wearing a red suit and a white cape was standing in Billy's place. He sighed.

"I'll be right back…hopefully", he said, and flew through the roof.

Lilly was standing on a bridge in the city, her car having been completely forgotten as she documented the creature's attack on the city. She ducked as a tree flew over her, having been tossed by the creature.

"Whoa", she said, breathing heavily. "Thing almost took my head off!"

Nevertheless, she did not falter her shot as the creature continued its rampage on the city. She failed to notice that the tree had been covered with the creature's acid touch, which immediately spread and began to dissolve the bridge's structure. It was only when she suddenly felt herself drop that she realized that she was in danger.

Lilly slowly pocketed her phone and turned to see the end of the bridge begin to fall. She gasped and ran the other direction as the acidic corrosion spread to where she was standing.

"Oh, my God!" she yelled. "Look out!"

But it was too late. No longer able to outrun the damage, the bridge dropped out from under her and she began to plummet. Lilly screamed and covered her eyes, bracing herself for the impact with the road…but it never came. Instead, she found herself floating in midair.

"What…?"

She looked up to see that a muscular figure dressed in red had caught her by the back of her shirt and was holding her just above the ground. The figure smiled and winked at her.

"Bet _that_ changed your mind about any ideas of bungee jumping, huh?" he said.

Breathing shakily, Lilly nodded.

"Well, don't worry."

She gasped as the figure set her down on the ground with ease.

"You're safe now."

Lilly chuckled dryly, and then her smile faded as she saw the creature come up behind him.

"I think you spoke too soon!" she cried.

The creature screeched, causing her to cover her ears. Through squinted vision she could see that the figure who had saved her was apparently unaffected by this attack, and simply shocked the creature with lightning.

Amazed, Lilly stood and watched as he flew away to battle the creature, pulling her phone back out as she did so.

Shazam flew up to meet the creature's mouth with an uppercut, sending it reeling back from the blow.

"Big, tall and ugly!" he called. "You're just the complete package, aren't you, my friend?"

The creature growled and charged forward, but Shazam simply sidestepped the attack using his super speed and pulled it back, launching it into the air. Looking around, he saw a power plant just a few miles away and smiled.

Lilly watched as the red figure tossed the creature into the air and flew it further away. She quickly found a way back to her car and followed the creature's trajectory, which was right towards the city's power plant.

Shazam punched the creature once more, enclosing it in the fenced area of the power plant. He smirked and folded his arms across his chest.

"You got nowhere to go _now, _buddy", he said cockily. "Whatcha gonna do?"

In answer, the creature made like it was going to jump, and Shazam's smile faded.

"Oh, that's not fair", he said, and the creature leapt into the air.

Shazam met it halfway, slamming his palm into its chest and bringing it back down to earth. The creature snarled and screeched as the superhero locked it down using some beams.

"Buddy", he said, "this is gonna hurt me a lot more than it's gonna hurt you."

With sparks dancing on his fingertips, Shazam directed his lightning at the power plant, and the creature's eyes went wide.

BOOM! A giant flash of light reflected in Lilly's eyes as she watched the creature being electrocuted by the red figure. Dumbfoundedly, she began to snap picture after picture of the entire affair.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have found our next big story", she said breathlessly.

When Shazam was sure the creature was dead, he cut the flow of power by lowering his hands. He sniffed at the air and then wrinkled his nose.

"Ugh!" he said. "And I thought _skunks _smelled bad. Well, better get rid of the body."

With a grunt of effort, Shazam flew the dead creature into the dark abyss of space and set it adrift far away from Earth. He returned to the city and was met with applause and cheers from all around.

As she went over the photos she had taken, Lilly began to think: Who was this strange hero, and where did he come from? Lilly sighed to herself and opened the voice recorder app on her phone.

"New story idea: Who is the figure in red?"

…

Darla's eyes lit up and she jumped off the couch as Billy and Freddy walked through the door.

"Welcome home, big brother!" she said, wrapping Billy in a huge hug.

Billy chuckled.

"Hey, Darla, how are you doing?"

"Fine!"

She pulled away.

"I was just watching that awesome new hero on the news", she said, winking at the two boys. "He was pretty amazing today."

"Yeah, he was, wasn't he?" said Freddy. "What's his name again-Shazow? Kazam?"

"You know I can't say his name", Billy hissed.

"Billy, Freddy, is that you?"

The kids' foster mom, Rosa Vasquez, entered the living room and smiled.

"I thought I heard you two!" she said. "So, how was school?"

"School was-", Freddy began.

"-fine", Billy finished.

Rosa raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, well…dinner's on the table in ten."

"Can't wait!" the boys said simultaneously.

"Are you guys okay?"

The two boys looked at each other and then began shooting off a random slew of words assuring her that they were fine, such as "Who, us?" and "Yeah, everything's just peachy!" or "Are _you_ okay?".

Rosa nodded slightly.

"Okay, then. Don't forget to wash up."

Stealing another puzzled look at them as she left, Rosa went back into the kitchen to continue working on dinner.

…

Lilly Lawson typed frantically on her computer, putting together her article on the figure in red who had saved her earlier that day. She had started working three hours ago and had hardly looked up from the screen except to occasionally check her spelling and grammar. She finally sighed and rubbed her hands over her face, glancing at the clock. It was nearly 11 pm.

"Maybe I should hit the sheets", she thought to herself. "I can go back to the high school and use the computer lab to add the graphics tomorrow morning."

With her plan of action decided, she shut down her computer and got up and stretched. Lilly poured herself a small glass of milk and grabbed a couple of pretzels from her pantry, carrying them with her to her bedroom.

She had just settled into the covers when-BOOM!-an explosion sounded outside. Lilly screamed and ran to the window to see a flash of lightning in the sky, and then the red figure flew past her house. Breathless, Lilly smiled.

"Oh, forget sleep-this is too good to pass up!" she said, grabbing her coat from the closet and slipping into her shoes.

It was right before bedtime that Billy had seen the news about the hostage situation at the city bank. Freddy had given him a knowing look and promised to cover. After that he had gone to his room, slipped out the window and yelled, "Shazam!". The lightning had struck him and he had turned into the muscular superhero and flown off into the night.

Lilly ran out to her car and put the key in the ignition, putting the car into gear the second it had started.

"Reporter's instincts, don't fail me now", she said, following the figure flying in the sky into the city.

Shazam arrived on the scene and met up with the police outside.

"Ah, Captain Sparkle Fingers!" said the police chief, and Shazam sighed.

"Not my name", he said. "Anyway, what do we got?"

"There are three hooded criminals holding 15 people hostage. They've threatened to shoot anyone who comes in, along with the hostages, if their demands are not met."

"And what are their demands?"

"They want $100,000 from the bank, a getaway helicopter…and a pizza from Domino's."

Shazam rolled his eyes.

"Amateurs", he thought to himself, and then said, "Okay, I'm going in."

"Didn't you hear what I just said, kid?" said the police chief. "They'll shoot you!"

Shazam flashed him a grin.

"Let 'em!"

Before the police chief could say anything else, Shazam was gone.

Lilly pulled up just outside the scene and ran to stand in the crowd. She saw the red figure talking with the police and, using her lip-reading skills, interpreted their conversation.

"Captain Sparkle Fingers?" she thought, and then nodded when she saw that that was not the hero's name.

She read that there were 15 hostages and scoffed at the criminals' ridiculous demands of the police.

"Amateurs!" she thought, and then watched as Shazam flew into the building. Squaring her shoulders, she snuck past the cops and found a way inside.

"Now _this _is what I call an exclusive."

Shazam touched down in front of the criminals, where one of them was holding a gun to a woman's head.

"Alright, drop your weapons, release the hostages, and then everything will be alright", Shazam demanded.

The three criminals laughed at him.

"And just who do you think _you _are, some kinda hero?" said the apparent leader.

The woman winced as the second criminal pressed the gun further into her temple.

"Actually, I do", said Shazam, and the leader scoffed.

"Shoot this clown!" he demanded, and the men opened fire.

Lilly had managed to sneak in through the back entrance, and she immediately heard gunfire. But as she ran to see what was going on, she was amazed to see a red blur moving around the room and disarming the criminals. Suddenly, there was a woman wearing a purple suit standing right next to her.

"Uh, hi", Lilly said awkwardly. "Are you-?"

And then the woman fainted into her arms.

As Shazam ran around the room, taking care of the three criminals, he was suddenly aware of another presence. Looking up, he saw Lilly Lawson trying desperately to stop the woman he had just rescued from hitting the ground.

"Ms. Lawson?" he thought to himself. "What is _she _doing-?"

His thoughts were interrupted as he lost his concentration and crashed into a wall, breaking through the cement.

"Some hero _this _guy is", said the leader of the three. "Let's get outta here!"

As Shazam regained his senses, the three criminals stepped over him and climbed out of the hole he had just created with the impact. Police swarmed the area once they were gone, checking on the rest of the hostages. He looked across the room and saw Lilly talking to an officer, who was tending to the woman in purple.

"Nice work, hero", said the police chief sarcastically. "You let them get away!"

Shazam didn't even notice. He watched as Lilly secretly took photos of the crime scene. As she turned to take another shot their eyes met, and her face turned a bright red.

…

Freddy had to hobble even faster to catch up with Billy the next morning at school. He had come home last night seemingly furious, had refused to tell him what had happened at the bank, and gone to sleep.

"Billy, you've hardly said a word all morning", said Freddy, finally stopping him in the hallway. "Could you please tell me what's up?"

"In a minute", Billy said hotly. "First I need to check on something."

Lilly was in the computer lab at the high school, putting the finishing touches on her article, when the door swung open. She looked up to see Billy Batson and his friend Freddy Freeman in the doorway.

"Oh, hi guys!" she said with a friendly smile. "Nice to see you again."

"Yeah, you too", Billy muttered, taking a seat at one of the computers across the room.

"So what brings you back here?" said Freddy, taking a seat next to Lilly.

"Well, I found something new to write about."

Lilly was practically bouncing with excitement as she pulled out the printed photos she had taken.

"Ever seen this guy around?"

Freddy's eyes turned to dinner plates as he saw the photos of Shazam from yesterday.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, and then saw Billy slice a finger across his throat. "I mean, uh…great, uh, gr-great…picture resolution, you, uh…must have a really good…camera...skills."

"Thanks!"

Lilly saved her article and sent it to Print.

"You guys will NOT believe what happened last night. I saw this hero guy save some hostages at the bank, and-"

"Why would you do that?" Billy suddenly interrupted.

"I'm sorry", Lilly chuckled, confused. "Do what?"

"You were at the bank last night, right? You put yourself at risk."

Lilly was shocked.

"How did you know I was gonna tell you I was at the bank?"

"It doesn't matter", Billy said, getting up. "Come on, Freddy."

"I'm sorry", Lilly said, stopping them, "but did I do something to offend you?"

"Not _me_", said Billy. "But I'm pretty sure it's your fault those three criminals got away."

"Wow, would you like at the time!" Freddy said, tugging on Billy's sleeve. "We have got classes to go to-again, lovely to see you, Ms. Lawson, have a great day!"

"_My _fault?"

Lilly scoffed.

"How is it _my _fault?"

"The news released a list of the hostages in that bank. You weren't on it. My guess is, you followed him _into _the bank so you could get a better view for your article. Somehow, you distracted him."

"The news didn't release any list."

Lilly got up from the computer, her article forgotten.

"Where are you getting all this? I mean, you couldn't possibly have known I was there unless…unless _you _were there."

Freddy gulped, and Lilly tilted her head to one side.

"Do you two know more than you're letting on?"

"Who, us?" Freddy said, his voice cracking.

"Why are you guys hiding from me? All I want to do is give the red figure the credit and recognition he deserves and-"

Billy groaned.

"Okay, that's it!" he said. "His name is not the red figure, it's not Captain Sparkle Fingers-"

"Billy…" Freddy, warned, but it was too late.

"His name is Shazam!"

BOOM! Lilly screamed as the lights in the computer lab went out. She coughed, clearing smoke from the air, and gasped. Standing in front of her was the red figure.

"What the…"

"Oh, snap", Freddy muttered, and Shazam looked down at himself and sighed.

"Oh, _brilliant_", he said, rolling his eyes. "Yeah-okay, now you know. Ya happy?"

Lilly's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the floor.

"I don't think she took it that well", Freddy whispered, and Shazam pinched the bridge of his nose.

…

Lilly Lawson opened her eyes and found herself staring at a newspaper clipping on the wall. Looking to her left, she saw a bunk bed in the corner. There was a dresser with photos of the Justice League and an Aquaman shirt on a hanger.

"Where…am I?" she thought and tried to get up.

That's when she realized that she was sitting in a chair with her arms bound to her sides. Confused, she tried to break free and call for help. She was distinctly aware of some sort of cloth scratching her face, and realized she had been gagged, as well.

"Hello?" she tried to say. "Can anyone hear me?"

"Well, what do you _think _we should do?!"

Lilly's ears detected two voices whispering behind her.

"Dude, we _cannot _keep her like this", Freddy was whispering in the bathroom with Billy. "This is kidnapping!"

"Uh, no-it's a_dult_-napping", said Billy.

"SAME DIFFERENCE!"

"Well, we can't let her go, knowing what she knows. She's a freelance reporter-she'll tell someone about this!"

"Well, we'll just have to trust she won't spill the beans, like Darla."

"I don't think it's worth the risk."

"It's either that, or juvie!"

Billy peeked open the bathroom door and saw Lilly looking around frantically. He sighed.

"Alright-we'll both talk to her", he finally said, and Freddy nodded.

The two boys opened the door and approached their captive, who raised an eyebrow as they came around to face her. Freddy carefully removed the cloth and Lilly spit out fibers.

"That sock had better be clean", she threatened.

Freddy whistled as he tossed it into the hamper behind them.

"Ugh, I'm gonna have to drink a bottle of mouthwash", Lilly muttered. "Moving on: Have you two COMPLETELY lost your-!"

Billy quickly covered her mouth once more.

"Please keep it down", he whispered. "Our foster parents could be home any minute."

"Oh, I'm sorry", Lilly said sarcastically as the hand was removed. "I didn't realize I could get you two in trouble for RAISING MY VOICE WHILE BEING HELD AGAINST MY WILL!"

She angrily bounced in her chair, and the boys took a few steps back.

"Sorry, I panicked!" Billy said. "You can't tell anyone what you saw."

"Like anyone would believe me!" Lilly said incredulously. "I'm not exactly the most reliable news source, you know-heck, _I'm _not even sure I believe what I saw!"

"You aren't?" said Freddy. "Great, then we'll let you go!"

As he moved to untie the ropes, Billy stopped him.

"Look", he said, "I'm not saying this for my benefit, I'm saying it for yours: If anyone finds out that you know what you know, they will come after you. I've faced a lot of dangerous people since becoming Sha-you know."

"I can handle myself, kid", said Lilly, "but if it means getting out of this chair, then your secret is safe with me. Now could you _please _untie me? I'm starting to get chaffed."

"No."

"No?" Lilly said quizzically.

"No?!"

Freddy stared at Billy.

"I still don't trust you."

Lilly sighed.

"What do you want-a written contract that I am sworn to secrecy? I promise not to tell anyone that you're Shazam-JUST UNTIE ME!"

Billy nodded.

"Fair enough."

He moved to the back of the chair and undid the knots. Lilly stood up with a huff and pulled the ropes over her head.

"You two have got some nerve, you know that?" she said. "You know, this is considered kidnapping."

Freddy opened his mouth to say something.

"If you try to make some crack about how it's adult-napping, I swear I'm going to lose it", Lilly warned, her eyes narrowed, and Freddy snapped his mouth shut.

"Remember, you can't tell anyone", said Billy. "It would probably be best if you just forget all about that article."

Lilly gasped.

"Oh my gosh-the article!" she exclaimed. "I have to go back to the school and get it!"

She quickly fixed her hair in their mirror and made to walk out the door, only to freeze and turn back to them.

"How do I get back to the school from here?"

…

Five minutes later Shazam was flying both Lilly and Freddy back over to the school. They landed in the courtyard, just outside the computer lab, a few minutes after school hours.

"You might wanna stand back", said Shazam, and Lilly took a few steps backward. "Shazam!"

BOOM! Lightning came down from the sky, transforming him back into Billy Batson. Lilly coughed as smoke cleared.

"Yep", she said, "still getting used to that."

"Just hurry up and get your article", said Billy. "We'll keep watch."

Lilly nodded and hoisted herself up and through the window. The room was still dark from earlier that day, though no one had seemed to notice the damage. She spotted her article still sitting on the printer and walked over to collect it. As she turned to go back outside, she stopped and looked down at what she had written.

"What are you doing?!" Billy hissed. "Get out of there, let's GO!"

"Just a quick edit", Lilly whispered back, and sat down at the computer where she had been working earlier.

Since she had saved the article on that computer, all she had to do was open it back up. She added the title: "SHAZAM SAVES CITY" and printed the article again.

"You are unbelievable!" Billy whispered.

"I'm a reporter, it's what I do!" Lilly whispered back, gathering the new article from the printer.

She carefully slid it into her bag and climbed out the window.

"Truthfully, you should be thanking me", she said, pointing a finger in Billy's face. "Now people won't be calling you Captain Sparkle Fingers anymore."

"Keep it down!" Freddy said. "Remember, you are sworn to secrecy from here on out."

"Yeah, I got it."

Lilly made her way across the courtyard and back to the parking lot where her car was waiting. The two boys followed her and watched as she put her bag in the backseat.

"Well", she said, shutting the door, "I'd say that this has been fun, but it…really hasn't been."

Lilly cleared her throat.

"Again, it was nice meeting you, Billy. Freddy. Shazam."

They shushed her and she rolled her eyes.

"Can I offer you guys a ride home?"

"No, thanks, we'll take the sky", said Billy, and Lilly shrugged.

"Alright, have it your way."

She opened her door and slid behind the wheel.

"And for the record, I think Shazam is a great name."

Winking, she shut the door, started the ignition and drove off.

Later that night, the janitor came in to pick up the computer lab. He was shocked by the shattered fluorescent lights above his head.

"What the heck happened in here?" he thought.

As he began to sweep up the shattered glass, he noticed a computer that had been left on.

"Darn kids; never have any responsibility."

He sighed and moved the mouse, bringing the screen to life…and froze. Lilly had left her new article up, and he skimmed over the title.

"Shazam."

He looked at Lilly's name and photo, and immediately recognized her as the girl he and his boys had seen at the bank last night. The leader of the three criminals smiled.

"You know who he is."

Abandoning his night job, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed his partners' hideout.

"Boys? We've got a job to do."

…

As Billy and Freddy sat on the bus home from school a few days later, they passed through the city and saw hundreds of people reading a magazine article. After she had printed it out, Lilly had taken it straight to the newsstand to have it published. There had been an immediate and immense response. The newsstand had sold out of the magazine with Lilly's article.

"Looks like _she _found success in her work, huh, Billy?" said Freddy.

"I guess."

Truthfully, he was glad people would start calling Shazam by his real name, but another part of him was disappointed that he was now less of a mystery.

"Hey, come on, man-people love Shazam! Look at this!"

Freddy gestured to the crowd on the street, fighting to get a glimpse of the article in one man's hands.

"Whatever."

Billy turned away from them and rested his hands on the back of the seat in front of him.

Lilly was being approached by so many people that morning. They all wanted to know how she had learned the superhero's name, what he was like, how many powers he had, everything. She couldn't go anywhere without the next stream of readers waiting to bombard her with questions she couldn't answer. She was now in a coffee shop, trying to proofread, when more people gathered around her.

"Please, give us SOMETHING!" one woman exclaimed.

"What's his favorite food?!" another man asked.

"What kind of music does he like?!"

"Is he single?!"

"How old is he?!"

"Is he really a hero, or a villain in disguise?!"

Lilly could hardly take it anymore. She slammed her palms down on the table, causing them to step back.

"If you will excuse me", she said, getting up, "I need some air."

Silently, the crowd watched her go and then started chatting among themselves. Lilly angrily kicked a trash can in the alley behind the coffee shop.

"Why didn't I post that stupid article anonymously?" she said to herself. "All of these people are driving me crazy! What kind of person am I, running away from a crowd? And not even being able to answer those questions-I mean, who _does _that?!"

Lilly sighed and rested her back against the wall.

"I should have held off", she said, "done more research, set up an interview, SOMETHING. But no, I had to go off on pure instinct. Ugh, this was a bad idea."

"Not for us, it wasn't."

Lilly gasped and snapped her head up. The three hooded criminals from the bank were standing in front of her.

"Oh, no."

The leader laughed.

"Oh, yes."

Lilly's eyes darted to the street and she lunged to the side.

"Help!" she called, breaking into a run. "He-!"

Almost immediately, one of the other men wrapped their arms around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides. A hand came over her mouth, silencing any further cries for help.

"See, I have a feeling that you know who this so-called hero is", said the leader, staring down at the trapped girl. "And you're gonna tell us."

Lilly growled and slammed her elbow into the man holding her. He let go and released a moan of pain. Lilly grunted as she was grabbed once more by the other man.

"Let me-GO!" she demanded, but instead the leader produced a white cloth, and her eyes went wide.

"No", she panicked, struggling furiously to get out of the man's grasp. "No, SOMEBODY HEL-MMPH!"

The leader shoved the cloth in Lilly's face and her struggles soon became weak. Her arms hung limply at her sides and her eyelids began to flutter as she struggled to maintain consciousness. Her vision became a blur and the man in front of her turned into a black blob. Her legs gave out from under her and with a final sigh she sank into darkness.

Billy tried to drown out the sounds of the city outside as the bus ride continued, but he couldn't help but wonder about Ms. Lawson. He was shaken from his thoughts as Freddy frantically tugged on his sleeve.

"Billy!"

Billy turned and saw that his face was filled with panic.

"Freddy, what is it?" Billy said, suddenly alert. "What's wrong?"

"Look!"

Billy looked out the window and gasped. They were in front of an alley where three hooded figures stood. One of them was holding a cloth over a girl's face and she was struggling futilely to get away. Billy and Freddy immediately recognized the girl as Lilly Lawson, and they watched as she fell unconscious in the man's arms.

"Oh my God", Billy said as they carried her away, "I've gotta do something!"

As he sprang up from his seat, Freddy stuck out his crutch to stop him.

"Dude, are you crazy?!" he hissed. "You want _more _people to find out you're Shazam by leaving this bus?!"

Billy stared at him and then looked out the window once more, where he saw Lilly being flung over one of the man's shoulders and carried away.

"I can't just let them take her."

"You _have _to. You cannot risk any more people finding out who you are, or the next person the bad guys come after will be _you_."

The bus hissed as it continued its ride down the road, and Billy's heart sank as he saw Lilly being shoved into a white van before the alley faded from view.

…

Lilly Lawson awoke to a pounding headache. She had always seen the effects of chloroform demonstrated in movies, TV shows and books, but she never imagined they would be this nasty. She gently shook her head, trying to get her vision to clear, as everything came back into focus. The first thing she noticed was that, once again, she had no idea where she was; the second thing she noticed was that she was once more bound to a chair, only this time her arms were wrenched tightly behind her back.

Lilly groaned as she tried to adjust herself, but she had very little wiggle room and her feet were bound to the legs of the chair. She was dehydrated from the chloroform and began looking around wildly. Darkness surrounded the room she was in, save for a single overhead bulb. There was a fold-up table set in front of her chair, along with a large duffel bag on the floor beside it.

"Help!" Lilly called, struggling to free herself. "Help!"

"Oh, give it a rest."

She gasped as the three men suddenly stepped out of the shadows and stood in front of her. The leader of the group smiled.

"Welcome to our hideout", he said. "Not exactly the most glamorous place, but it suits our need of absolute privacy: There's no one around for miles."

"So scream all you want", said the second member, resting a hand on the back of her chair, "because you ain't goin' nowhere."

"Not until you tell us what we wanna know", said the third member.

"I don't know who that hero is!" Lilly insisted, still struggling.

"Your article said his name", said the leader.

"I made it up!"

"I don't believe you."

"Fine, _don't _believe me! I don't care, just let me go!"

The three men chuckled, staring down at their captive.

"Nah, I don't think so", the leader said. "Instead, we're gonna play a game of 20 Questions. And if I don't like the answers you give me-"

Lilly squealed as he flipped the blade of a pocket knife open and pressed it to her face.

"Well…I'll let you use your imagination."

Lilly let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding as he withdrew the knife from her cheek.

"Now…let's begin with Question 1: Who are you?"

"My name is Liliana Lawson. I'm a freelance reporter."

"Who do you work for?"

"Do you not understand the meaning of _free_-lance?"

She gasped as the leader menacingly came forward with the knife.

"I work for myself!" she corrected. "I choose the material I report on and try to get it published once it's done!"

The leader nodded and backed away.

"That's better", he said.

The game continued for another 15 minutes and Lilly was very careful with her answers, until finally it was time for Question 20.

"Last question", said the leader, twirling the pocket knife in his hand. "Who is Shazam?"

Lilly gulped.

"I don't know."

The leader clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Such a shame", he said. "You were doing so well up until now."

Lilly's hands were suddenly cut free and the other two men were on either side of her, holding her down. One of them forced her right hand to her front and separated her forefinger from the rest.

"No, please!" Lilly cried. "I swear, I don't know!"

"And yet, I still don't believe you", said the leader, taking the finger in his hand. "Guess you better choose another profession."

"NO!"

BAM! A flash of light struck, blowing out the single bulb in the room. With shaky breath, Lilly listened as she heard shouts and screams coming from the men surrounding her. Realizing her hands were still free, she felt around for the ropes around her feet and untied the knots.

Once she was sure she could stand, she made her way through the dark looking for an exit. She saw a glowing lightning bolt flying around the room, followed by some clattering. She was relieved to see the distinct neon glow of an Exit sign above the doorway and headed there. Just as she was about to push the door open, strong arms seized her by her wrists and pulled her back, but this time she was ready. Lilly slammed her foot down on the person's foot, shoved her elbow into their side, swung both of her fists up to sock them in the nose, and then finally punched their midsection.

She was released immediately, only to hear a cry of discomfort from the person who had attacked her.

"Really?" a new voice said. "I try to save you, and this is the thanks I get?"

"Shazam?" Lilly said quietly. "Billy, is that y-?"

A hand covered her mouth.

"You wanna get us into even _more _trouble?" Shazam said, removing his hand once Lilly shook her head. "Then keep it down. Now come on-let's get outta here."

"How? They seem to be lurking around every-"

"Hang on!"

Before she could protest, Shazam wrapped his massive arm around her waist and jumped off the ground, coming back through the hole in the ceiling he had created. Lilly whimpered as she found herself high above the ground and screamed as Shazam flew her back to the city.

"Oh, my God!" she yelled. "Put me down! PLEASE put me down!"

"Why, afraid of heights?"

Lilly's screams echoed in the clouds as he flew higher.

"This is not down, THIS IS NOT DOWN!"

"I know, isn't the view fantastic?"

"I WOULDN'T KNOW!" Lilly said, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Alright, relax, hang on."

Lilly gasped as they began their descent, until finally they were back on the ground, right in front of the coffee shop where she had left her car.

"There ya go!" Shazam said, releasing her.

Lilly wracked her hands through her hair, breathing heavily.

"OhmyGodthatjusthappened", she muttered to herself. "What just happened? Was I flying? Ohh…"

"Hey", Shazam said, landing next to her, "you okay?"

Lilly suddenly pitched forward, having fainted once again.

"Whoa, okay!"

Shazam easily caught her and picked her up.

"Great", he said. "_Now _what?"

Deciding it was too risky to fly, Shazam carried her to the park near his foster home and set her down on the bench, waiting for her to wake up.

"It might look really suspicious if I stay like this with her", he thought to himself.

"Shazam!"

With a flash of lightning from the sky, he was transformed back into Billy Batson. He pulled out his cell phone and contacted Freddy.

"Hey, I'm in the park with Lilly."

"You found her?! Man, that's great! How is she?"

"Uh, unconscious."

"What?"

"I'll explain later. Just keep stalling until I can get her home, okay?"

"You got it."

"Thanks, I'll see you later."

As Billy hung up the phone, he was suddenly aware that Lilly was no longer on the bench. He frantically looked around, only to see her walking towards the street.

"Hey!"

Billy ran to catch up with her, but she didn't turn around.

"Ms. Lawson, wait!"

Still, Lilly continued to walk down to the street, ignoring him. Billy finally gave up, stopping just a few feet away.

"What, you're not gonna say a_nything_?"

Lilly spun on her heel and glared at him.

"Anything", she said, and turned back around to keep walking.

"Oh, yeah, that's real nice", Billy said sarcastically. "I saved your life, you know."

Lilly froze.

"If it weren't for me, those guys would have killed you. And you know it."

Lilly sighed and turned back to face him.

"I know, kid", she said, "and I'm sorry. It's my fault that this happened. I was just too obsessed with getting this story out there."

"But why?"

Billy was still confused.

"Why is this story so important to you?"

"Because…I'm not exactly the most successful reporter, you know. Everything I've chosen to write about…no one would read. And then I find out that there's a superhero right here in Philly. It was my big breakthrough! I guess I just didn't realize how much danger it would put me in to write about the great and powerful Shazam."

"Well, if you had simply asked me, I would have said yes, you know."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I trust you."

Lilly smiled at the kid.

"Thanks, Billy."

"You're welcome. Now, let's get you home."

"Okay, but _please _no flying."

Billy chuckled.

"Deal."

The two of them walked back to the coffee shop so Lilly could get her car, chatting about each other's lives.

"Sounds like you're quite the rebel", said Lilly as Billy finished telling her about the foster homes that he'd run away from.

"I guess you could say that", he said.

They entered the parking lot and Lilly spotted her car in the distance. She sighed.

"Thank goodness nobody towed it", she said.

As they walked towards the black vehicle, there was a screeching of tires and the same white van from earlier rounded the corner. Lilly's eyes widened at the sight of it and she whirled around.

"Billy, run!" she screamed and took off in the opposite direction.

The van doors slid open and two men got out. Without Shazam's speed, Billy was caught in mere seconds.

"SHAZA-!" he cried out, but a hand covered his mouth, preventing him from finishing the magic word.

Lilly turned back to see that the boy had been caught.

"No", she said. "No, let him go!"

"Not so fast, sweetheart."

Billy struggled to get away as the leader of the three stepped out of the van. He walked around to the boy's side and patted his cheek, chuckling as Billy lunged at him.

"This one's got some fire in him, just like you. He yours?"

"He's just a friend", Lilly said, "someone who has nothing to do with this-now let him go!"

The leader shook his head.

"I don't think so", he said. "In fact, I think we'll take him with us. Wanna tag along?"

Billy's cries out to her were muffled as he violently shook his head no.

"I swear", Lilly said darkly, "if you hurt that kid-"

"I guess you won't know _what'll _happen…unless, of course, you come along for the ride."

He mockingly beckoned to her with one finger as the man holding Billy kept a firm grip over the boy's mouth. Lilly knew she had no choice. She couldn't let them hurt Billy on account of her.

"Alright", she said. "You win. Just don't hurt him."

The leader nodded.

"I knew you were a smart one", he said.

He turned to the man holding Billy.

"Put the kid inside."

Billy grunted as the man tucked a hand under his legs and carried him into the van. The hand on his mouth was removed, only to quickly be replaced with a cloth soaked in a foul-smelling substance. Billy's head spun and he kept trying to say the magic word before finally darkness clouded his vision and he fell unconscious on the floor of the van.

Lilly's arm was grabbed and she was pulled toward the van where she saw the other man finishing tying and gagging Billy.

"Watch your step", the man holding her said mockingly before shoving her inside.

"You said you wouldn't hurt him", she said, her eyes narrowed.

"We didn't!" said the leader. "We're just gonna let you guys take a nice, long nap."

A hand came down on Lilly's shoulder and she gasped as the man brought the same cloth up to meet her face. Instinctively, she brought her hands up to remove it, but the leader forced them back down.

"No cheating now, sweetheart", he said. "Just relax."

The leader's voice seemed to echo as Lilly's thoughts ceased. She fought to keep her eyes open as the drug invaded her system, but she found she could no longer focus on much of anything. The leader smiled as her hands hump limply in his grip and her eyes rolled into the back of her head before finally closing.

Satisfied, the leader dropped her hands and jumped out, going back to the driver's seat.

As soon as Lilly was bound and gagged like Billy, they tore out of the parking lot and back to their hideout.

What Lilly and the three criminals didn't know was that before he had been grabbed, Billy had secretly dialed Freddy's number in his jacket pocket. The kid had been listening to the whole thing. His heart thudded in his chest as he heard his two friends being kidnapped, and as soon as he couldn't hear anything else he grabbed his crutches and hobbled down the stairs as fast as he could, being sure to put the phone on Mute just in case he was overheard.

"Victor!" he screeched. "Rosa! Come quick!"

His foster parents came running from the kitchen, followed closely by Darla.

"Freddy?" Victor said.

"Baby, what is it?" said Rosa.

"It's Billy", Freddy said, breathless. "Something's happened to Billy."

Freddy quickly explained that Billy had met a reporter and was helping her do some research for her latest story, but that they had found out more than they were supposed to and that three criminals were after them.

"Billy must have dialed me before they grabbed him", Freddy said. "I-I-I could hear him struggling."

"Oh, my God", Rosa breathed.

"It sounded like Lilly almost got away, but she came back when they threatened to hurt Billy."

Darla was crying. Rosa pulled her to her side and stroked the back of her head as Freddy continued his story.

"After that, I heard some muffled grunting. Then all I could hear was the screeching of tires and the sounds of a motor. I think they must have knocked them out."

Rosa shushed Darla as her sobs grew more hysterical.

"It'll be okay, baby", she said. "We'll find them."

"Are you still connected?" Victor said.

Freddy nodded and pulled out his phone, letting them hear the other line.

"Alright, hand me that and take Darla upstairs", said Victor. "Rosa, call the police and make sure the kids are inside."

Rosa nodded and went for the phone in the kitchen. Darla clung to Freddy's side as they made their way upstairs.

"I don't understand", she sobbed as Freddy shut his bedroom door behind them. "Billy's a hero, why wouldn't he-"

"He couldn't, Darla", Freddy said. "These bad men wouldn't let him say the magic word, so he couldn't save himself _or _Lilly."

"Well, then who's gonna save them?"

Freddy pulled her in for a hug, the girl's muffled sobs causing his pajamas to get wet.

"I don't know", he admitted.

Billy Batson slowly returned to awareness through hazy vision and a pounding headache.

"Man, what w_as _that stuff?" he thought. "It's awful."

He tried to get up, only to realize that his arms were tied behind his back.

"Okay, no problem: All I have to do is say the magic word."

"Phuzm!" was the word that came out of his mouth, and it was then that he realized there was a strip of tape over his mouth.

Billy's eyes widened and he began struggling furiously. As Shazam, he could have very easily snapped the ropes and set himself free; but as Billy Batson, the boy realized just how vulnerable he really was.

He was about to try calling for help when he saw someone slumped over next to him. Once his vision had fully cleared, he saw that it was Lilly Lawson.

"Some rescue _this w_as", Billy thought, tugging at the ropes cutting into his skin. "Now we're _both _trapped."

Lilly groaned as she stirred awake, her mind still foggy from the drug. It didn't take her long to see that Billy Batson was bound and gagged next to her, and that she was in the same state that he was.

They were propped against a wall, in a warehouse of some sort, surrounded by boxes and bright fluorescent lights. Lilly noticed some writing on the boxes: Clear Cut Veal. She wrinkled her nose, and then tried to elbow Billy to get his attention. The boy looked at her, clearly annoyed, until she drew his eyes to the boxes.

Billy remembered his phone in his pocket and carefully began sliding his bound arms underneath his body. Lilly raised an eyebrow and stared at him questioningly until she saw that he was trying to get his tied hands to the front of his body. Billy winced, giving up when he realized he couldn't do it.

Billy locked eyes with Lilly and made a motion with his thumbs. She got the message immediately: texting. Billy had a phone. Lilly had an idea and she maneuvered herself over to his side, locking eyes with him once again: "Where?"

Billy motioned to his coat pocket and she put her back to his side, reaching inside with her fingers. Billy sighed with relief as her hands pulled out his phone and he saw his call to Freddy was still connected.

Lilly heard footsteps and she quickly scooted herself away from Billy, sitting on the phone after locking the screen. The three criminals who had kidnapped them came up to the two captives and smiled.

"Rise and shine, sweetheart", said the leader.

He reached down and ripped the tape from Lilly's mouth, causing her to wince.

"Let the kid go", she said. "He doesn't have anything to do with this."

"Oh, he has _everything _to do with this."

"Yeah, how's that?"

"You obviously care about this kid. We have him, you have a better chance of cooperating with us. Get it?"

Lilly gasped as the second man pulled out a gun and held it to Billy's head.

"I don't know anything!" she insisted. "I swear, I made up the name Shazam-I don't know who he is, JUST LET HIM GO!"

Lilly was on the brink of tears and the leader could see it. He smiled.

"You guys believe her?"

The other two men shrugged.

"Yeah, me neither."

The gun cocked and Billy tried to say his magic word once more, but it couldn't be heard.

"I DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS!"

Lilly looked from one man to the next.

"He's 14 years old, for Pete's sake-do you really wanna be responsible for the death of a kid?! A _foster _kid?!"

The men froze and stared at her.

"That's right, he's a foster kid", Lilly said defiantly. "And if you shoot a kid in the foster system, the police will _never s_top coming after you until you are either rotting in a cell, or dead on the street."

Lilly grunted as the man holding the gun suddenly hit her on the side of the head with it.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Billy tried to say.

Blood ran down the side of Lilly's head and her vision swam. The leader kneeled down next to her and forced her to look at him.

"I believe you", he said and patted her cheek before replacing the tape over her mouth. "Load up. We're moving out in 10."

"What about them?" said the third man.

The leader turned back to stare at the two captives.

"We'll drop 'em off along the way. They know too much."

"Congratulations", the second man said to Lilly. "You just bought yourself a few more minutes to live."

He holstered his gun and walked away with the other two. Lilly waited until they were out of sight before pulling the phone back out. They both sighed when they saw that the call was still connected. Lilly pulled her bound hands over to the side, trying to reach the screen.

Billy did the same and unlocked the phone, allowing her to access his Message app. Scrolling to Freddy's name, Lilly typed the words Clear Cut Veal and hit Send.

Rosa and Victor had heard everything in the warehouse, grateful that Billy hadn't been hurt. The police had been called and officers had been sent over. They had been listening to the call for almost half an hour.

The phone buzzed twice and Victor saw a text message light up the screen. He straightened up when he saw that the recipient was Billy Batson.

"Rosa!" he called, and she ran to his side. "Look, take a look at this. It's from Billy."

"What?"

Rosa looked at the message and her eyes went wide.

"It's a message. He told us where he is!"

"What? How do you know?"

"Clear Cut Veal-it's a warehouse, just outside of town."

"She's right", said an officer. "I've seen that warehouse before. If the kid is there-"

"Everybody quiet!"

Another officer held up his hands for quiet as they overheard the exchange in the warehouse. Rosa folded her arms tightly as she listened to Billy being threatened. It was when they overheard the criminals talking about how they would soon get rid of their two captives that the police officers sprang into action.

"All units, we've got a lead on the kidnapping victims, Clear Cut Veal warehouse, 1142 Robinson Dr. and we are in route to the scene."

Victor and Rosa stood out of the way of the officers as they left the house.

"Please", Rosa said, "bring him home."

"What's going on?" Freddy said as he hobbled down the stairs, Darla close behind him. "Did they find them?"

"I don't know how, but Billy got a message to your phone", said Victor. "He texted a location, a warehouse just outside of town. The police are on their way to get them now."

"Unless Shazam can somehow get them out first", Freddy thought.

Billy muffled in protest as a black hood was thrown over his head. A few feet away, he could hear Lilly being placed in the same state.

"What the…" they heard a voice say, and Lilly gulped.

"Hey, Zed!" the voice called. "They had a phone on 'em this whole time! They CALLED someone!"

"What?!"

Billy and Lilly could hear scuffling around them, followed by a loud crash, and they knew the criminals had broken the phone.

"Well, ain't _you _two the clever ones!"

Lilly screamed as she was shoved to the floor, landing painfully on her elbow.

"Leave her alone!" Billy tried to say and lunged out wildly.

The three criminals simply laughed as one of them held him back.

"Look at this, Luis", the leader named Zed sneered. "I think the kid wants to take you on."

"Knock yourself out, kid", said Luis, shoving him forward.

Billy looked around, blind as a bat with the bag over his head. He could hear Lilly's muffled cries of pain on the floor near him and once again tried in vain to break free of his bonds, but it was no use.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Billy grunted as he was once again grabbed from behind.

"Pick the girl up", said Zed. "With that phone call the kids made, we could have the cops on our tail any minute."

"Are we still getting' rid of 'em?" said the third criminal.

"Don't be stupid, Rocko", said Luis.

"That's right", said Zed. "Everyone knows the best way to escape the police is by having a hostage or two."

The three criminals laughed once more, and Lilly groaned as she was roughly picked up by her injured elbow. She felt herself being lifted off the ground as she and Billy were roughly thrown onto the floor of the criminals' white van. Lilly adjusted herself so she was sitting upright and she could hear Billy do the same.

They heard the motor start and were thrown to the ground once more as the van peeled out of the warehouse. They both sighed with disappointment as they heard police sirens just behind them.

"I've got to find a way out of these ropes!" Lilly thought to herself, and then she thought about Billy. "Or maybe I don't! If I can just get Billy's gag off…"

With her head still on the floor, she scooted herself across, loosening the bag over her head. Finally, she was able to shake it off and see Billy lying next to her. Trying to be quiet, Lilly maneuvered herself over to his still form and, with great difficulty, removed his bag with her hands still tied behind her back.

Billy blinked at her and Lilly began looking for something she could use to loosen his gag. Spotting a hammer on the floor, her eyes lit up and she nodded to Billy, who nodded back. Slowly, Lilly scooted her way across the floor of the van, being careful not to let the criminals see what she was up to.

Billy looked at her intently as she reached for the hammer with her outstretched fingers, until finally she grasped the handle. He breathed a silent sigh of relief and Lilly scooted back over to him. She carefully held the hammer in her bound hands as she slowly brought the edge to the corner of Billy's mouth.

Lilly almost cheered as she managed to get the hammer underneath the tape, slowly tearing it away. Billy winced as she got closer to the more sensitive parts of his lips until finally the tape was completely off. Billy was about to shout the magic word when Lilly nudged him, motioning to the criminals ahead of them. She was right: If he gave himself away now, they would definitely figure out his secret and they would both more than likely be killed.

Lilly glanced back at the doors of the van and her eyes lit up once more. She started jerking her head from the door to her feet.

"What?" Billy mouthed, and Lilly rolled her eyes.

Locking eyes with Billy, she went through the motions again: Her head jerked in the direction of the sliding door, then to her own feet, then to Billy, and her idea suddenly clicked in the boy's mind. Billy nodded.

"Good plan", he mouthed, and she nodded.

Lilly rolled herself over to the door of the van, glancing at the criminals in the front who were still oblivious to their escape attempt. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her feet and maneuvered them into the door's handle. Nodding out three counts, she pulled with all of her might, sliding the door open.

Air rushed in from the street, and Luis and Rocko turned to see the two captives.

"Hey!" Luis yelled and reached for them, but it was too late: Billy rolled out the door as Rocko clambered into the backseat.

"Is he crazy?!" Luis said. "That's suicide!"

"Not if you're a superhero", Lilly thought.

The street was dark and there were no other cars when Billy hit the pavement. He grunted at the impact and curled his body to cushion the blow. Once he was sure he had rolled a safe distance away from the van, he sighed with relief.

"Now to save Ms. Lawson", he said. "SHAZAM!"

A bolt of lightning struck from the sky and he was instantly transformed into his superhero persona. With a quick flex, he was free of his bonds and he shook the remaining frays of rope.

"Hang on, Lilly!" said Shazam, and he took off after the van.

Freddy had been staring at his phone ever since the criminals had discovered that a call had been made and the screen went blank.

"They found out", he said. "I-I should have hung up-they found out and now-"

"Hey!" Rosa said, placing her hands on his shoulders. "This is not your fault. Your brother and that poor reporter are in the hands of dangerous, despicable people and if you hadn't kept that call connected as long as you did, the police may _never _have found them."

"But what's gonna happen to them now?" Darla sniffed.

"Now, we hope for a miracle", said Victor.

Shazam soon saw the white van just a few feet ahead of him and on the inside, things were not looking good.

"So t_his _was your plan, huh?!"

Lilly cried out as Rocko grabbed her injured arm once more.

"You and that little kid think you're pretty smart, don't you?"

Luis grasped her chin and made her look him in the eyes.

"Well, it didn't quite work out so well, sweetheart", he sneered. "You see, even if your little friend _did _survive that jump and finds help, by the time we're done with you they're not gonna find much left."

Lilly's eyes went wide with fear and she grunted as the two men threw her across the floor. Tears stung her eyes, but she tried to hold them back as the two men got back in the front.

Suddenly, the van jerked forward, pitching her face first to the floor yet again.

"What the hell?!" Rocko yelled.

"What's going on?" said Luis.

"Something's got a hold of the van!" said Zed. "We can't move!"

Lilly turned and looked out the back window to see Shazam holding the van with his bare hands. Her eyes flooded with relief and the superhero winked at her. Luis looked back and gasped.

"Boss, it's the super dude!" he said.

"Just who we were looking for", said Zed, and put the van in Park. "Stay with the girl. We still need her."

Rocko and Luis immediately threw themselves into the back and held her down. Zed exited the van, cocking his gun.

"Well, well, well", he said. "If it isn't the little superhero."

Shazam released the van, letting the back fall to the pavement.

"You can have the money", he said. "Let the girl go!"

Zed shook his head.

"I don't think so", he said. "This isn't about the money anymore."

"Rob a_nother _bank, maybe some jewelry this time, I don't care about you guys! I just want the girl!"

"Oh, I know. And that's why you're gonna tell me what I want to know: Who you really are."

Shazam glanced in the window and saw Lilly wincing as the two men held her down painfully. He sighed.

"Okay", he said. "Fine, I'll tell you."

"Smart choice."

Zed motioned to the other two men, who opened the van door and dragged Lilly out by the arms.

"Now tell me who you really are, and we'll let her go."

Lilly tried to say something, but her cries were still muffled by the gag. A hard shove by Luis silenced her.

"Tell me!" said Zed. "Otherwise, we'll be on our way."

Shazam locked eyes with Lilly, who looked like she was about to pass out.

"My name", he said, "is-"

"FREEZE!"

Police cars lined the street all of a sudden.

"Don't move!" an officer called. "Keep your hands up! We have you surrounded!"

Zed whirled around, and then turned back to Shazam.

"Too little, too late", he said, and aimed his gun at Lilly.

"NO!" Shazam cried and sped himself in front of her.

The bullet bounced harmlessly off his body and Zed sighed.

"That's not fair", he said.

"_You're _not fair!" said Shazam and punched him into the air.

Zed yelled and grunted as he landed on the hood of a police car. Shazam focused his attention on the other two men, his eyes narrowed.

"Now", he said menacingly, "am I gonna have to ask you guys to let her go, or did you _also w_ant a quick flying lesson?"

The men practically tripped over themselves and their hostage as they took off running down the street. Shazam rolled his eyes and, without even looking, electrocuted a lamp post to block their path.

"Let's go!" said the police chief and three men rushed forward to apprehend them.

"Ms. Lawson!"

Shazam gently took ahold of her and removed her gag, snapping her ropes.

"Are you okay?"

"My elbow", she winced. "And…ooh, my head-"

"Don't worry", said Shazam. "We'll get you some help. Could we get a medic over here?"

A first response team treated Lilly's injuries.

"Hey", said an EMT, "weren't you kidnapped with another kid?"

"Yes", said Lilly. "He, uh-"

"I found Billy Batson in the road", Shazam chipped in. "Somehow, the kid managed to escape the van and land semi-safely. But it's okay-I untied him and left him on the side of the road, safely out of harm's way."

"We need to get that kid home", said the police chief. "His parents are probably worried sick!"

"And I should get back to the city", said Shazam. "There may be another innocent victim out there in need of saving. Farewell, officers!"

With that, Shazam flew away. A few seconds later, lightning struck from the sky and Billy Batson stumbled out of a bush a few feet away.

"I'm okay", he kept insisting as the EMTs checked him over. "I just wanna get home."

Victor, Rosa, Darla and Freddy rushed for the door as they saw the sirens reflect into the living room.

"Oh, my God", Rosa said, tears in her eyes. "Billy!"

She pulled him into a big hug as he got out of the policeman's car.

"Oh, thank you for bringing our son home!" said Rosa.

"We never would have found them if it hadn't been for the daring escape this one made", said the officer. "Found a way to roll himself right out of the van!"

"Are you alright, Billy?" said Victor, looking him over. "Are you hurt?"

"No, no, I'm okay!" Billy insisted, chuckling. "And I never would have been able to get out if it wasn't for Ms. Lawson."

As the others stared in confusion at him, Lilly opened the other door and got out slowly. Her arm was in a sling and there was a bandage on her head from where she had been hit with the gun.

"Hi", she said, waving awkwardly. "You must be Billy's-"

She was cut off as Darla ran up to hug her.

"Oh, thank you for helping save my big brother!" she said.

Lilly returned the hug.

"Ms. Lawson!" said Freddy as Darla backed off. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"I'm glad _everyone _is back here in one piece", said Rosa. "Now, Ms. Lawson, is it?"

Lilly chuckled.

"You guys can call me Lilly", she said.

"Lilly, I insist you join us for dinner tomorrow night", said Rosa. "We owe our son's life to you."

"Well, Billy's a pretty clever kid", said Lilly. "And he's got a great family behind him."

"Escaping from the van was your idea, though", said Billy. "I never would have thought to open that door and roll out."

"Dude, you rolled out of a moving van?!" Freddy exclaimed. "Okay, you and Lilly have _got _to tell me everything-"

"TOMORROW", said Victor. "It is way past _everyone's _bedtime in this household."

"Your father's right", said Rosa. "Come on, kids, up the stairs!"

Billy, Freddy and Darla followed her inside the house, waving goodbye to Lilly before they disappeared behind the door.

"Thank you", Victor said, grasping her hand in his, "for saving my family."

Lilly nodded.

"I guess I'd better get home", she said.

"I can take you, ma'am", the officer offered.

"Thank you", said Lilly. "My car's still in the parking lot from where we were abducted, and I am in no condition to drive right now."

As she headed back for the car, she stumbled against the door.

"Are you alright?" Victor said.

"Just a little dizzy", Lilly admitted. "Nothing an ice pack and a good night's sleep won't handle."

"How far away do you live?"

"Oh, you know…all the way over there."

With her good arm, Lilly pointed halfway across town, and Victor shook his head.

"No dice. You can stay with us."

"A-are you sure? Sir, I just met you and, well, I wouldn't want to impose-"

"You saved my son", said Victor. "I insist you let us help you. Tomorrow, my wife and I can take you to your car and make sure you get home safely."

"Thank you", said Lilly, "really."

Victor nodded and put an arm around her shoulder as he helped her up to the house. Rosa showed her to a guest bedroom upstairs. Billy, Freddy and Darla bade her goodnight before turning out the lights. Lilly didn't even have time to register that her head had hit the pillow before she was out like a light.

…

The next day, Lilly was taken to the parking lot by Mr. and Mrs. Vasquez to get her car. Still exhausted from the other night, she went home and fell asleep. Ten hours later, she woke up and saw that it was noon. Checking her phone, she saw that she had three missed calls from an unknown number.

Curious, she listened to the voicemail that had been left.

"Hello, Ms. Lawson, my name is Anthony Diaz from The Tribunal. I just wanted to let you know that I loved your article about the superhero Shazam and would love to offer you a position here in our office. Please give me a call back if you're interested and I'll have my assistant set up an interview. Thanks, and I hope to hear from you soon."

Lilly almost dropped the phone. This was it: the moment she had been waiting for. She was finally going to be a real reporter! With her hands still shaking, she hit the call back button.

"Hello, Mr. Diaz? Thank you so much for calling, and I would love to be scheduled for an interview for this amazing opportunity."

Two Days Later

Liliana Lawson smiled as she posed for her ID badge at the Tribunal. The interview had gone splendidly, and she had been offered a position by the end. She could hardly contain her excitement on the way home. Starting tomorrow, she would be working for a real news anchor. Driving through the city, she smiled to herself and had an idea.

Billy and Freddy were surprised to see Lilly Lawson waiting for them when they came out of school.

"Ms. Lawson!" said Freddy.

"Lilly!" she corrected, smiling at them. "How are you two?"

"Good!" said Billy. "Yeah, uh, life's been treating us well-how 'bout you?"

"Well, I got a job."

"But I thought you already had one", said Freddy.

"Well, yeah, but I decided that belonging to a media center is _way _better than going freelance. Plus, the pay is better."

"So what brings you here?" said Billy.

"I thought I'd share the news with my two friends and their favorite superhero."

She winked at the pair.

"See you around."

With that, she gave a little wave and walked back to her car.

That night, as Lilly was getting ready for bed, she saw a flash of light in the sky. A few seconds later, Shazam was hovering right outside her window.

"Mind if I come inside?" he said.

Lilly nodded and opened the window to let him in.

"Shazam!" the superhero cried and transformed back into Billy Batson.

"Hey, Billy", she said, pulling her robe over her pajamas. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I figured I'd give you an exclusive-you know, so you can actually print the f_acts t_his time."

Lilly chuckled.

"And I also wanted to say…thank you for saving my life."

"Yeah, right back at ya", said Lilly. "I'll go get my notebook."

Lilly turned in her interview the next morning and it immediately went to print. A few hours later, it was on the front page of The Tribunal. On the bus ride home from school, Billy and Freddy watched as a crowd gathered outside the newsstands, trying to get their hands on it. Billy smiled as the bus continued down the street.

Lilly smiled to herself as she sipped her hot chocolate in the coffee shop that day. She was once again approached by tons of people, but this time she was able to answer almost every single question that came her way. It was only when there was a commotion outside that made them stop.

People pressed themselves against the windows as they saw a freak storm tearing up the city. Seeing a flash of red in the sky, Lilly gave a knowing smile.

"Go get 'em, hero", she said.

**The End **


End file.
